


Noticed

by abigail89



Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Cute Kids, Domestic Bliss, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-23
Updated: 2013-07-23
Packaged: 2017-12-21 03:06:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/895054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abigail89/pseuds/abigail89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris and Karl spend quality time with the boys before work invades. A day in the life...Takes place in Vancouver, Canada.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Noticed

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** They've always been close, but now, people are noticing. Based on [ this photo from STID premiere in LA](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/abigail89/1111534/184848/184848_original.jpg)  
>  **Notes/Warnings:** RPF alert!! We all know this is total fiction, right? I don’t know these people. These characters all act and say things based on how I perceive them, and probably bear absolutely no relation to how they are in real life (though, that would be sad because I hope all of them are this thoughtful and awesome. OTOH, they might be even moreso!) Therefore, take this with a complete grain of salt.
> 
> My thanks to my awesome sister-in-creativity [](http://weepingnaiad.livejournal.com/profile)[**weepingnaiad**](http://weepingnaiad.livejournal.com/) for the beta and confidence boost. This was her prompt for the [](http://jim-and-bones.livejournal.com/profile)[**jim_and_bones**](http://jim-and-bones.livejournal.com/) Regeneration Challenge. All remaining mistakes and stupidity are mine alone.

>   
> _And just what is UP between_ Star Trek Into Darkness _stars Chris Pine and Karl Urban? During the Los Angeles premiere of the film they were photographed hugging, holding hands, posing with arms around each others' waists. There's bromance and then there's just outright romance! 'I Spy' will keep their binoculars trained on these two hunky guys and their obvious blooming romantic relationship..._  
> 

"Really? Do we have an obvious blooming romantic relationship?" Chris asks, putting down his coffee and tossing the two month old tabloid into the fireplace. He figures next time he can talk Karl into lighting a fire, which should be tonight since the weather is deteriorating rapidly in Vancouver and the temperature is going down into the single digits by nightfall (and really, will Centigrade temperatures never not sound weird to his American ears?) he can use it for tinder. Right now, it's eight in the morning, raining, and he's into the third cup, and buzzing.

"I'd say it's fully blossomed and into the hot summer months of flower season," Karl replies. "Are these people not paying attention? How much more obvious do we need to be?" He's toweling his hair dry after a shower. "Hey, any coffee left?"

"Started a new pot."

"Oh, thank God. Did you put an--"

"Extra scoop in, yes, I did."

Karl leans over and gives Chris a kiss over the top of his now dry hair. "You're the best."

Chris cranes his head around to give Karl a big, cheesy grin. "Why, yes, I am."

Karl throws the towel at him. "And so modest, too."

Chris throws it back. "Go get your monsters up. We have a life to live. I wanna get to that grocery store for supplies before the next goddamned rainstorm hits. And, we need more firewood."

"You are such a southern boy."

"No, _you_ and your kiddos are the southern boys. I am a Californian."

"You're a skinny prat without any fat on your body to keep you warm, that's who you are." Karl goes into the kitchen to pour himself some coffee. "You make great coffee, though. I think I'll keep you."

"No, I am a southern Californian who needs sunshine and warmth to keep my boyish good looks, and you keep me around for my sparkling wit and big dick."

"Well, there is that."

"So, children? Wake 'em up?"

''Yeah, yeah. You ready to provide sustenance?"

Chris hops up. "Waffle iron is hot and waiting."

"Awesome. Monsters will descend shortly."

It's easy, has been easy. Easier than he'd ever imagined it, this thing with Chris. It had started during the 2009 film--late nights with all the cast members, a few beers with just Simon and him at local bars, hurried dinners; then texts and emails after the filming ended. Friendly contact, clever comments, ridiculous selfies. A leisurely dinner in Vancouver one night, a completely chance meeting, ignited the possibility. And...it started from there: stolen nights, assignations in cities near wherever they were both filming. Shared holidays in tropical locations for him, cold intellectual centers for Chris (really, who _vacations_ in Croatia?) The break came when Natalie met and started dating a great guy, and decided what she wanted was a full-time husband, one who would be there, full-time, and not a million miles away on a film set. He'd known that day would come eventually, when she'd need more, want more from a husband. Ray is good for her; she smiles more, laughs more--she's happier. Not that they were ever truly unhappy, but she simply wanted--more. They'll always be friends, Ray understands that, mostly because of the boys, but really because they're _friends_. It's been easy, way too easy.

It's that thought that lands with a thud in the pit of his stomach as he climbs the stairs. _Like, when is it not going to be easy? When does the hard part begin? When Chris realizes his career is suffering because he's with me? When my career suffers?_

He breaks out into a sweat, and then shakes his head. "Fuck it," he mutters to himself, opening the door to the boys' room. "Hey," he says quietly, "Uncle Chris has waffles waiting for you." He flips the covers back on Indy, then Hunter.

"Daaaaad! Go away." Hunter swats at him, trying to retrieve the covers. He can't get to them so he dives under his pillow and tries to burrow away.

"No, Chris worked hard on those waffles, the ones you requested, boy. He put cinnamon and nutmeg in the batter, and a banana." Karl is trying to be gentle, but at 14, Hunter is in full pouty, intransigent, teenage boy mode. It's frustrating as hell sometimes, but when he thinks about how he was at this age, Hunter is a fluffy sheep in comparison. "So get up and get a waffle."

Indy sits up, rubbing his eyes. "I'm hungry," he says.

Karl pats his tousled hair. "Go pee and then head down to the kitchen." Indy slides out of bed and goes out of the room. "Wash your hands after!" Karl reminds him.

"I know, Dad." The bathroom door slams shut.

Karl turns his attention to his teenager. Turning forty _and_ gaining a teenager (and ending his marriage) all in the same year, had been rough. But a year later, it's all...well, he's older and finding gray in his hair and Hunter is more of a sullen teenager than the year before...they're working on it. "So, you getting up?"

"Yeah, I'll get up," Hunter says, yawning. "Are we going out this morning?"

"We're heading to the observatory first to do your science lesson, then to the market."

Hunter rolls over, his face brightening. "Forgot about that."

Karl inwardly sighs in relief. "Yep. Don't know who's more excited, you or Chris."

"Uncle Chris is going?"

"Well, sure. He wouldn't miss it for anything."

That's the motivation he needs. Hunter pulls his legs up, then tackles his dad into the bed. "Why aren't you dressed yet then?" He yelps when Karl finds his most excellent tickle spot and bears down hard on it.

"Because I've been waiting for you to get out of bed!" Karl growls playfully, and attacks again as Hunter yelp-laughs.

Indy comes back and jumps on them both. "Tickle war!" he yells.

Downstairs, Chris smiles.

*~*

Karl and Chris stand off to the side as the education coordinator for the observatory talks to the boys. Hunter's face is a study in joy and total engagement. He loves this stuff--the stars, the planets, the solar system, deep space. Star Trek. He smiles.

He feels Chris's warm, strong hand slip into his. "Hey," Chris says, softly.

Karl looks into his crystal blue eyes. "Just enjoying watching Hunter getting into this," he says.

Chris looks over at the boys. "He's your kid, you know. He may deny it and fight against it, but he's definitely a Karl clone."

He chuckles. "You mean, he's all kinds of fucked up, eh?"

"No, I don't." Chris turns to look at him, his face serious. "You are not fucked up, and neither is he." He looks around and then back at Karl. "He's a great kid; you know that. What I mean is that he's curious. He's thoughtful, even for a teenage boy. He's funny and culturally aware. He got my joke about _The Holy Grail_ last night."

"Well, what kind of father would I be if I didn't properly education my sons?" Karl cuts in with a laugh.

"Exactly! That's what I mean!" A large group of people wander by. A couple of them look at them, do a double take and point, but they don't intrude.

Chris pulls him along behind the crowd, and they walk behind a space capsule exhibit, while keeping the boys in sight. "Hunter and I have spent a lot of time together," Chris says. "And you know I'd tell you if something really important were going down with him. But just know, he thinks the world of you. He adores you, respects you and is fucking proud of you."

Karl blinks, feeling one of his eyes filling. "He does?"

"Look, did you ever tell your dad that kind of stuff? I didn't," Chris says, wrapping his arm around Karl's waist. "No teenager, male or female, does. But they do tell it to other adults, especially ones they trust."

Karl takes a deep breath. "Thank God you're in his life, because I haven't had a decent conversation with him in forever."

Chris leans in close. "Thank God you're all in _my_ life. Just, you know, listen to him. He has good things to say. He's got a good head on his shoulders, all thanks to you and Nat." He gives him a soft kiss on the cheek, and pulls back.

Another group of people wander by, chatting about the exhibit, but no one gives them a second look.

"You know," Chris observes, stepping very much into Karl's personal space, "that's the third wave of people to come by who haven't acknowledged our existence. If we'd been at the Griffith Observatory in LA, they'd be all over us, our mugs would be in the tabs, and E! would’ve send a film crew."

"Oh, they've noticed," Karl says, taking Chris's hand in his, "but Canadians are cool about the fame shit."

Chris laughs as he looks around. "They kinda are. It's refreshing after having a bazillion cameras going off in our faces for two weeks during the Star Trek tour."

An hour later, they emerge into bright sunshine after watching artificial stars rotate above their heads in total darkness. Indy is excited and chatty, clutching his new book about space. "Wow, Daddy, the sky in the northern hemisphere is so different from ours."

"It is indeed," Karl saying, taking Indy's hand.

"Hey, can we go down on the beach?" he asks, waving his free hand at the waters of the bay.

"Sure. Here, give me your book."

Indy shoves the book at his dad and takes off down the concrete walk-way to the stairs that lead to the beach. "Hey, slow down!" he shouts.

Indy waves at him but doesn't stop running. Chris and Hunter come up behind him as he leans into the corner of the railing, watching the water and clouds.

"Gonna rain again, isn't it?" Chris asks.

"Yeah.” Karl pulls out his iPhone and checks the weather app. “The next storm will be here by this afternoon. We should get to the market."

"Dad, can I--?" Hunter says.

"Yeah, give me your backpack." Hunter slides it off his shoulders and into Karl's hand. "Hey, no more than ten minutes. Stay with your brother!!" he shouts. He shoulders the pack. "Damn, this thing is heavy!"

“"C'mon,” Chris says, “let's walk on the beach, too."

Without a word, Chris takes his hand and pulls him to the stairs and down to the sand below. Whitecaps form as the storm begins to make its presence known. They walk, swinging hands.

Behind them, a middle-aged woman smiles and takes a photo of them. It gets uploaded to Twitter with the caption: _Gorgeous men on the beach. #vancouverisforlovers_.

By the end of the day, it has close to a hundred re-tweets. But when @sangueuk figures out that it's Chris Pine by identifying his ass, and that it's Karl's beside it, the image goes viral.

*~*

"Ugh, tuna again?" Hunter wrinkles his nose as he retrieves two big cans from the shelf. "Why do we have to have canned tuna?"

"Because that's what Uncle Chris wants," Karl says, consulting the list. Chris is big on lists. Today's list is organized by meal and ingredient, which makes Karl's head hurt to think how much effort went into making it.

"Can we get some real fish?" Hunter asks.

"Of course. Tell you what--you get to pick from the fish counter, all right?"

"Good. I hope they have salmon." Hunter throws another can of albacore into the basket. "I do like his tuna casserole."

"Make sure you tell him that," Karl says, encouraged. "He's a little sensitive about that recipe since it's his."

Karl pushes the cart down the aisle, turns the corner and up the cereal aisle. "Pick your favorite and a healthy one."

Hunter looks at the selection. "Canadians have as many cereals as Americans. Why don't we get as many?"

Karl rolls his eyes. "We live at the end of the food delivery chain."

A box of Lucky Charms lands in the basket, along with frosted mini-wheats. It's a stretch to call the mini-wheats "healthy" but, Hunter's been good about eating greens and fruit. July in Vancouver has meant fresh vegetables and visits to the farmers' markets that Chris found through some local food co-op. Chris is a savvy and serious foodie when he wants to be. He's fond of kale and cheromoyas and other exotic fruits and fresh veggies from organic, local farms. But then he makes this casserole with pasta, Velveeta and canned tuna, a throw-back to his cherished times as a student at Berkeley. He's an odd mixture of _avant garde_ and tradition, finding the good things in life that his movie star status brings, like a $200 bottle of wine and a Porsche; but he clings to thread-bare sweats and a battered aluminum pot he picked up for a quarter at a garage sale when he was 20. But it's what makes him so fucking endearing, so fascinating, so perfect.

"Dad? Indy likes this." Hunters holds up a box of Cap'n Crunch.

"So does Chris. Toss it in. I'll make porridge a couple of mornings." Karl rolls down the aisle of inequity a few more meters and finds a bag of organic oatmeal from a local farm. "Chris'll approve of this."

"Yuck." Hunter makes a face.

Speaking of Chris, Karl hears his laugh floating from the end of the aisle, near the meat counter. A couple of women have recognized him and are talking to him; Indy is in his arms, hanging onto him. Indy can be charming and gregarious, but shy and diffident when confronted by fans, his and Chris's, people who gush over them, giggling about being their fans, fawning over their work, admitting their favorite characters they've played. It's fun to watch Indy assess the women, like he's judging them, waiting for them to say something out of line or over the top. Hunter just ignores them; Indy actively takes notes and then delivers his opinion, mostly after the fans are well out of earshot. However, there are times his youngest son will step in.

Like now. One of the women asks to have her picture taken with Chris, but Indy shakes his head. Karl sees Indy stand taller, confront the woman and then tug on Chris's arm. Chris holds his hand out and walks Indy aside, just a few steps, and leans down to Indy's face; they speak, then Indy nods and Chris returns to the women, takes the their cell phone, holds it up and takes the photo. They're delighted. Chris gives them both quick hugs and they move on. Chris turns, pulls Indy's hand in his, and they walk on, presumably to the frozen section where they had been sent to select ice cream.

"Dad?"

Karl shifts his vision to his eldest child. "Yeah?"

"Are you in love with Uncle Chris?"

He blinks. "What makes you think that?"

"It's just--your face," Hunter says. "You look like you want to kill those women."

What can he say? Of course he does. He's never thought of himself as the jealous type because he's always trusted the two most important partners he's ever had in his life; Natalie, and now Chris, have always shot straight with him, and he with them. It's why he and Nat have remained such good friends; they always know where the other stands. And Chris, Chris admits to bending the truth about himself in the press, but never in private. They deal in deception and pretend as actors. But when they leave the set, it's all about real life, real feelings, real truth. It's one of the many things that attracted him to Chris. But this relationship, this love he feels for Chris is new, raw. His sons are his core, his heart, his life, but Chris's love has reinvigorated him, made him feel wanted. This time has been...transforming.

"Sorry, no," Karl replies, shaking his head. "I don't, but. . ."

"But you don't want them touching him. Because you're in love with him," Hunter presses.

Karl comes to stand next to him. "Yes, I am." He waits a beat or two. "Does that bother you?"

"No," he says quickly. "No. I mean, Mum explained what was happening, and she said you and Chris were thinking about getting into a relationship." He thinks about it. "Are you still thinking about it?"

That is a really good question, but he has an answer. "No, we've pretty much decided we're going to be together, just like your mum and Ray have."

"Are you going to get married?"

"I don't know. We haven't talked about it."

"So is this just a fling?"

"Where did you--" Of course Hunter would know what a 'fling' is.' "No, it's definitely not. We're serious about being with each other, building a strong relationship. Making a family with you and your brother." He watches Hunter carefully.

"What about Mum and Ray?"

"They're your family, too. You and your brother have two families to love you and take care of you."

Hunter thinks. "Do we have to choose?"

"Of course not. Look, your mum and I are always going to be friends. We’re always going to be connected because of you and Indy, and I’m glad for it. And your mum and Ray want you guys to live with them, always. Chris and I always want to have you with us. But when we work apart and for long hours, it's not possible for me to care for you guys properly. That's why you're here with us now, while I have some time before my series starts filming again, and Chris goes onto his next project." Karl bites his lip, thinking. “Do you understand? I mean, your mum and I are going to try to work it out so we can spend much more time together than before.”

Hunter takes several seconds to think about this, then nods. "Yeah. Okay."

Karl raises his eyebrows. "Okay, that you have two families or okay that you're okay with Chris and me?"

Hunter gives him a very serious look. "Okay with both. I mean, Jonas says it's weird you're switching teams at your age, but not unheard of. He thinks it's cool I've got a switcheroo dad."

"'Switcheroo' eh?" Karl chokes back a laugh. He's heard a lot of terms, but switcheroo kind of works for him. "Jonas come up with that himself?"

Hunter shrugs. "Maybe. His mum married another woman."

_Ah, that's who Jonas is._ He'd heard about his mum, the head of the Auckland Human Rights Campaign office, who did a lot of media appearances during the gay marriage debate earlier in the year. An impressive woman with a passion for justice; her forthrightness had been inspiring and motivating. And she and her partner married when the bill became reality. "Kind of a brave new world, eh?"

"Yeah, but you're a lot happier. So's Mum. It's fine with me." He turns and starts to walk away. "What's next on the list?"

_Teenagers these days_ , Karl thinks. _So much more adaptable_. Sometimes he thinks he's being selfish and unfair, yanking them out of school, taking them away from their friends and family, football practice and music lessons. They deserve to have a life, a stable life surrounded by a good support system and their mum to tuck them into bed at night. But, he thinks again, they're going to school via the internet and Chris has had too much fun helping them with their lessons; so have they. They're having a great time: experiencing Canadian culture, traveling to Seattle, taking trips to watch the killer whales off the San Juan Islands, meeting the kids of cast and crew members. Hanging out with Chris, who adores them both. They talk to Natalie almost daily via Skype, just like he does whenever he's away from them. They're living something of an unconventional life, but then again, they've always led this kind of life, used to him being away, traveling all over the world to visit him on film sets. They've seen much more of the world than he ever did at their ages; they're aware of international events, politics, art, other peoples and their cultures--they're so much more sophisticated than he'll ever be. So the fact that Hunter shrugs off the fact he's now in a romantic relationship with a man shouldn't surprise him.

"Let's head to the fish counter," Karl says, pushing the cart with more energy.

While waiting for their salmon to be wrapped, Chris and Indy return, their arms loaded (well, Chris's are, Indy is carrying a bag of broccoli) with frozen items. "Couldn't decide what kind of ice cream, so Indy convinced me to get several."

Karl gives his youngest son the stink eye. "Really?"

"Yeah, Dad!" Indy says. "If we have a bunch of ice cream, we can pick and choose and not have to go out to get some when you want some but don't know what kind." He gives his dad his biggest, most winning smile.

Yeah, it works. Karl rolls his eyes. Chris laughs. "Makes perfect sense to me."

"It would," Karl says. He checks the cart and the list in his hand. "My God, are we feeding an army?"

"An army of boys!" Indy says.

"That's a righteous army," Chris says holding up his hand for a high-five.

"We ready to head for home?" Karl asks, turning the laden cart down the cookie aisle (bad choice--Chris adds Oreos and ginger snaps to the pile.)

"Lunch!" the boys cry.

Karl waves his hand over the buggy. "But look at all this food!"

"Five Guys?" Hunter adds helpfully.

“Ooh, best burgers in Vancouver,” Chris says, his blue eyes impossibly bright. “C’mon! It’s on the way.”

Karl gives Chris that "oh what the fuck I could go for a burger" look. "It'll have to be take-away."

"Works for me," Chris says.

"Ok, but you're paying," Karl says, pushing the cart towards the registers.

"Why do I have to pay?"

"Because I'm buying a shit-ton of ice cream."

*~*

Back home again, burgers and ice cream consumed, the boys settled into their laptops for classes, Karl takes Chris up the stairs and into their bedroom and shuts the door. He pulls Chris close and inhales. Chris winds his arms around Karl's waist and sighs.

They stay like that for a minute or more. Finally, Chris runs his hands up and down Karl's back, slowly, deftly, rubbing the sore spot he knows Karl got in the film fight with Bruce Willis years ago. Doesn't matter how carefully fights are choreographed, things can and do go awry. "Hey," Chris breathes into his neck, "everything all right?"

Karl nods, pulls back and give Chris a gentle, loving kiss. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Hmmm, you have." Chris pulls Karl's face and lips closer to his and kisses him. The tip of his tongue traces along the seam of Karl's lips. "I love you, too."

Karl opens to Chris's tongue and sucks it in. He slides his hand down Chris's taut back to palm appreciatively the swell of his ass, pushing on it to encourage Chris to come even closer. Chris eagerly responds, humming his approval and encouragement. He slides gently from side to side, the swelling bulge in his jeans bumping up against Karl's equally growing bulge. It's lovely, the way sparks shoot up and down his spine with each movement. He squeezes Chris's glut hard and earns a huff and a giggle. Chris gives as good as he gets, and sneaks his hand between them to squeeze Karl's erection. He moans, pushing his cock into Chris's hand.

But then the responsible side of him re-appears, the one that guides his life when he is the sole parent of his sons. He'd love nothing more than to throw his beautiful man on the bed and ravish his amazing body with his tongue, fingers and cock, but he has two devious children downstairs who wouldn't have any problems switching over to a computer game whilst listening to their tutors. Reluctantly, sadly, he pulls back. Chris makes an annoyed sound, leaning forward to keep their lips together, but then he gets a clue. "No?" he asks.

"Want to, but not right now. There are--"

"--ears about." Chris sighs, but gives him a smile. "Later?"

"You bet." Karl gives him a quick kiss. "Come on. I can hear Hunter's brain sliding out of math and into World of Warcraft."

“Your Dad-radar is scary,” Chris says.

“You’ll develop it soon enough.”

As they leave the bedroom, thunder rumbles; the rain starts a fresh pounding on the roof. "Rain," Chris mutters darkly. "I'm gonna make a fire."

"Good thing I pulled up more firewood from the shed," Karl says.

The men join the boys at the table. Sure enough, Hunter has a video game open in a tab. Chris sits next to him, clicks the tab closed, and makes faces him. He gets him back on track with his lesson. Karl makes a fire, newspaper conveniently near the fireplace for tinder, then settles into the chair next to Indy, helping him with spelling. Classes end for them soon after, and the rest of the day is filled with a continuing epic game of _Settlers of Catan_ , reading, watching a movie, and a salmon dinner. The rain pours down, but they don’t even notice.

>   
> _’I Spy’ has exclusive photos from the_ Star Trek into Darkness _DVD release party. It’s a big, splashy affair with all the principle stars here to give it a stellar launch. We’ll interview Bruce Greenwood, whose character was killed off in the $450Million blockbuster film, and get his reaction to Christopher Pike’s demise. And we hope to get to see newly declared couple Karl Urban and Chris Pine! They’ve both been busy with new projects. Urban is filming a television series in Vancouver for Bad Robot, and Chris is playing a billionaire with bad hair in a new film. Zoe Saldana, who always looks so fashion forward, is . . . ._  
> 


End file.
